How much Nigerian soldiers dey earn compared to oda African kontris

Nigeria Defence Minister Christopher Musa don start ogbonge controversy for social media as e reveal say di President Bola Tinubu administration don increase di minimum wage for Nigeria soldiers to one hundred thousand naira, dat na less dan $100.

Musa, who be di immediate past Chief of Defence Staff for Nigeria, tok dis one for interview on Wednesday, as e dey try to show say di present govment don do well in terms of soldiers welfare.

"Wen dem (di Tinubu administration) bin start, a soldier bin dey collect 49 thousand naira monthly. We try so hard, now dem dey collect 100 thousand naira," Musa tok, and add say "e still no dey enuf".

However, di comment don generate plenty tok-tok among Nigerians for social media as dem tok say di amount too small for pipo wey dey put dia life for risk all di time, fighting bandits and terrorists.

One twitter user, @im_patrickekong write say: "Average U.S. soldier dey earn $2,400–$4,200 per month, or about $28,000–$50,000 a year in base pay. Dat na roughly 3.6 million naira to over 6 million naira every month for di current exchange rates... But for Nigeria, average Nigerian soldier dey earn about 100,000 per month, roughly $93 for current exchange rates.

"Di men and women wey dey risk dia life to defend Africa most populous nation dey celebrate for earning di equivalent of $93 a month. Tink about dat."

Also, Sunday Donatus comment for one post on Facebook say even bricklayer day pay na between 15 to 20 thousand naira, wey mean say e dey earn betwin 75 and 100 thousand in five days.

On Thursday tori be say President Bola Tinubu call security meeting for all di service chiefs for di kontri, including top intelligence oga dem and also im senior advisers on Security mata, but e neva dey clear weda na di ongoing public discussion about soldiers welfare be di reason for di meeting.

Soldiers Salary in Nigeria vs oda African kontris

E no get any one database wey dey collate di monetary benefits for military personnel for Africa. In many kontris, dat information no dey publicly available.

However, e get organisations and statistical firms wey dia job include gathering such data as much as dem fit get.

Hia na how much di least ranked soldiers dey earn as dia base pay for Nigeria, Ghana and South Africa, according to Statisense, one ogbonge statistics organisation for Nigeria.

For a soldier wit di rank of 'Private' -

Nigeria: ₦104,000 ($64)

Ghana: GHS 1,000 to 1,500 (₦157,000 – ₦235,000)

South Africa: R8,000 to R12,000 (₦704,000 – ₦1.06 Million)

Statisense also quote data showing dat a military officer wit di rank of Major General for Nigeria dey earn about just over 1.15 million naira monthly, and dis amount dey eight times less dan wetin im counterpart wit di same rank for South Africa dey earn: R120,000 or ₦9,999,600 using di current exchange rate.

BBC News Pidgin neva independently verify dis figures.

Both Nigeria and South Africa dey for di top five largest economies for Africa.

Tinubu promise

On 7 March 2026, President Bola Tinubu bin annouce say e don approve to increase di salary for military personnel across di kontri.

Tinubu bin make di announcement for one small gathering for di State House to break di Ramadan fasting wit im Service Chiefs.

"My duty na to thank all of una on behalf of a grateful nation, knowing fully well say many times una dey witout una families, some dey face attacks from banditry and terrorists.

"Dis nation go always dey grateful to una and una sufferings no go be in vain. I dey assure una say we go do evritin possible to make sure say una no get any regrets.

"Una welfare, accommodation and many oda opportunities wey suppose come to una families go take first priority for our decisions."

Sabi pipo for security mata tok say dis promise by di President never dey implemented.

For April dis year, one former soldier for di Nigeria Army wey dey popular on social media as 'sojaboy', tok for one podcast say im last salary bifor e comot from di army na betwin 109,000 and 111,000 naira.

"And na for February last year (2025) dem increase am. Bifor den, na 51,000 plus one allowance of 20,000 making it 71,000 naira," Sojaboy tok.

Soja boy claim say apart from di salary, notin more dey enter pesin pocket as a soja and "di suffer (to survive) no be small".